(AP)- “Game of Thrones” fans came out in droves and bid on hundreds of costumes, accessories and other items from the series at the auction, raising more than $21 million.
Running from Thursday through Saturday, the Heritage Auctions event in Dallas featured more than 900 lots, including armor, swords and weapons, jewelry and many other notable items from the HBO series.
The best-selling item was the one the series’ characters competed for throughout eight seasons: the Iron Throne. After six minutes of bidding, the throne sold for $1.49 million.
The replica was made of plastic and molded from the original version used on screen, and then finished with metallic paint and jewel ornamentation. In the series, the throne was created from dragon breath that melted the swords of thousands of defeated opponents and became a symbol of the struggle for power throughout the series.
Heritage Auctions said in a statement Sunday that the event raised $21.1 million from more than 4,500 bidders. The auction was Heritage’s second best entertainment event, just shy of the record set by the Debbie Reynolds sale held in 2011.
Joe Maddalena, Heritage’s executive vice president, said in a statement that he knew the auction would have an impact.
Maddalena said, “They are extraordinary treasures created by the Emmy Award-winning costume and prop designers who worked tirelessly to adapt George R.R. Martin’s wonderful novels.” “People wanted a little bit of ‘Game of Thrones’ magic.”
In addition to the coveted Iron Throne, there were more than 30 other lots that had six-figure prices.
Jon Snow’s iconic sword, Longclaw, wielded on screen by Kit Harington, sold for $400,000 and his Night’s Watch costume, which includes a heavy cape, sold for $337,500. A long bidding war ensued for both the items.
Starting bids ranged from $500 to $20,000, but many items sold for more than thousands of dollars. Such was the case with the many capes and dresses worn by Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen and Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister. The gray suede outfit worn by Daenerys sold for $112,500, exactly $100,000 more than its opening bid, and the red velvet dress worn by Cersei in her final appearance in the series sold for $137,500, more than its starting offer. There was an increase of US$122,500. ,
Armor also proved popular, especially when it included highly sought-after weapons. Jaime Lannister’s black leather armor set sold for $275,000 and his Kingsguard armor (including his iconic Oathkeeper longsword) sold for $212,500. Royal Guard armor worn by the character Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane sold for US$212,500.
In an interview when the auction was announced in September, Jay Rowe, HBO’s senior vice president of global promotion and production planning, said the sale speaks to the series’ sustainability five years after it ended.
“’Game of Thrones’ was a watershed moment in our culture. It was a time of revolutionary change in high-end television. “It was a watershed moment in terms of HBO,” he said. “It has impacted the culture.”
HBO is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
